The Coming Of The Europeans: Nature, and Significants

The Nature Of The Coming Of The Early European In Nigeria

Written By Anthony Ogundipe

3minutes

The coming of the Europeans had a significant impact on the country. It started with the Portuguese explorers in the 15th century, followed by other European powers like the British. They established trade relationships but eventually colonised Nigeria (Niger Area). This colonisation period lasted until Nigeria gained independence in 1960. European influence brought changes in politics, culture and economy. 

Photo Of Scottish Explorer Mungo Park

Nigeria (Niger Area)  is a Negro nation located in West Africa. It has had a long history of contact with Europeans, the Portuguese were known to be the first Europeans to step in the West African soil through the Atlantic ocean in the year 1485 in Benin Kingdom in today’s Edo state in Nigeria. On the occasion of their visit, a strong European Mercantile relationship developed with the Benin traditional rulers and their locals.  Commodities were tropical products such as Ivory, pepper, and palm oil and later on, slave trading started. Although local slavery was officially prohibited by the colonial British administration from the mid-1880s, they tacitly permitted it to continue on in the 1940s. In return, the locals received commodities like manila, spirit, cloths and guns. 

Benin Kingdom was one of the major, wealthy Yoruba states west of the lower Niger delta. During his reign, which began in 1504, Esigie established a peaceful relationship with the Portuguese ambassadors as well as the christian missionaries who had come from Lisbon at the request of the predecessor, Oba Ozolua, in 1486. In 1516 missionary Duarte Pires reported that Oba Esige was a man of learning who could speak and read portuguese and practised astrology. Oba Esige maintained a strong connection to Portugal throughout his reign, and in 1540 he sent an ambassador to Lisbon the capital of portugal.

Photo Of John and Richard Lander During an expedition at Badagry

Oba Esige encouraged extensive trade with the Europeans but kept Benin independent of European rule. During his reign, selling slaves to the Portuguese, the French and later the English became a major business in Benin whose armies captured people from other West African kingdoms for this purpose. At this time, the Portuguese described Oba Esigie’s capital as a city with a nine mile wall around it. As several historians have pointed out, this description reveals that Benin was a wealthy trading centre, but its great wall suggests that it had many enemies and was plagued by unrest and instability.

Photo Of Scottish Explorer and Naval Officer Hugh Clapper-ton

The early Europeans who arrived in West Africa Nigeria were  Mungo Park, The Lander brothers (Richard and John Landers) , Hugh Clapperton. Mungo park’s arrival in Nigeria was an important moment in history. Mungo Park was a scottish european explorer who embarked on two expeditions around the River Niger and its environs with the first around 1795. The Lander brothers were significant to the early coming of Europeans to the Niger area, they embarked on a series of expeditions tracing the course of the Niger River and exploring its surroundings. Even with the various challenges faced they preserved and successfully reached the city of Bussa where they found the remains of Mungo park. Another significant explorer was Hugh Clapperton, a British who went on two expeditions to the Niger Area  in the early 19th century, Clapperton’s first expedition which began in 1822, aimed at reaching Sokoto, having a diplomatic relationship with the Sultan of Sokoto and achieved. He also faced challenges which included harsh conditions and political tensions, Clapperton successfully reached sokoto and achieved his objectives. 

Sources: Encyclopedia , Wikipedia, Milestone History